


We May Lose A Few to Save Thousands

by hahahaharlequin



Series: BAEK My DAE [4]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 18:17:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17451977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hahahaharlequin/pseuds/hahahaharlequin
Summary: “Aw but, Jongdae! Please? For me?” Baekhyun clasps both his hands and holds it against his soft, cute cheek.“Don’t do that,” Jongdae reaches over to pinch Baekhyun’s other cheek.“Do what?” The bastard has the gall to act innocent.“You think every time you say “Please? For me?” I’ll do whatever you want.” He says, eyeing the people in front of them. The line was awfully slow this awfully slow morning, it seemed. “Well, not this time.” Jongdae concludes, accentuating his point by crossing his arms across his chest.Baekhyun is stunned by that statement, but isn’t at all fazed by it. “Please? For me?”Damn it.





	We May Lose A Few to Save Thousands

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [marshmallows don't belong in coffee](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8592733) by [lunarshores (damichan)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/damichan/pseuds/lunarshores). 



> Special thanks to byunkim0421 for helping me with the ending!

Jongdae was used to going out to get the groceries. But not _this_ early.

It was fine. That was part of his share of chores he and Baekhyun had agreed upon signing a lease for an apartment they would share. Jongdae would get the groceries, and cook for them both. He wasn’t that spectacular of a cook, but he knows enough that they don’t have to live off instant noodles and canned beans all the time.

Takeout, on the other hand, was more of a luxury that they have to hold off on. Usually they get take-out when they have guests often.

Which was almost a weekly habit, no thanks to their annoying friends, namely one Oh Sehun.

 

But enough about that.

 

What Jongdae wanted to know was why on earth was he in the grocery store they frequent at gosh darn 05:00 AM.

Around this time, he would still be wrapped in Baekhyun’s old duvet, like a human burrito. Baekhyun doesn’t know it’s his duvet that Jongdae uses in his bed. What Baekhyun didn’t know wouldn’t kill him, right?

 

And it sure as heck killed Jongdae every day.

 

Now back to the situation at hand, which was Baekhyun talking his ears off at ass o’clock in the morning, at the grocery store down the street. He was still in his pyjamas, with only a jacket to keep him from turning blue.

The last thing he needed was get a frostbite at a grocery store, one _wonderful,_ winter morning. With none other than his best friend in the whole goddamn galaxy.

As far as his memory could go back to, Jongdae was sure he told Baekhyun he would go shopping today, before lunch. But according to Baekhyun, their fridge was _barren._

He woke up early with a rumbling tummy, so he got up to make French toast.

 

For someone who was pretty much the human definition of a dumpster fire, Baekhyun sure made some mean French toasts. It was sweet enough for Jongdae’s picky tastes and _“refined”_ palate.

Now, Baekhyun had been complaining to him all the way; from leaving their shared apartment, during the drive down, and until now as they grab a trolley and push around aisles.

He sluggishly trudges after Baekhyun, letting himself get dragged along every time he sagged too low and hung off the cart like a rag doll. He was grumpy, hungry, and in grave need for coffee. He would have willingly accompanied Baekhyun if he was given time to make and take some coffee. There was no way anyone would be able to survive going about one’s day without a mug of the stuff.

 

Baekhyun often scrunched his nose cutely at the aroma that Jongdae loved so much.

 

Speaking of _love,_ not that he _loved Baekhyun,_ no sirree! One thing he appreciated most about Baekhyun was the fact that he pays special attention to the tiny details in people. Their allergies, preferences in food and songs, even anyone’s favourite milk tea flavours and toppings. Baekhyun knew Jongdae better than Jongade himself, and he wasn’t afraid of admitting to it.

He knew Jongdae’s pet peeves, and one of them was that the lack of caffeine in his system would only make him crankier as the minutes go by.

In Jongdae’s half-asleep on his feet state, he gets a whiff of cheap, instant coffee. He turns his head towards the direction of the scent. There, Baekhyun is holding a paper cup in his hands, blowing lightly onto it. He catches Jongdae’s eyes, and and gives him a cheeky grin.

Jongdae’s vision was getting blurry, his eyelids heavy with sleep, that he only notices Baekhyun’s lips move, as if telling him something.

 

_“Whazzat?”_

 

“I got you some coffee, I said,” Baekhyun says, handing the cup over to him, which Jongdae graciously accepts with both hands. It really was hot in his hands, and the paper cup felt rather thin, and could probably burn his hands and spill if he pressed too hard, even if just by accident.

 

“Thanks, babe.” Jongdae mumbles, before he stops in his steps and recalls what he just said.

 

_What the fuck?_

 

Luckily, Baekhyun had already walked ahead of him, not really having heard the thanks, he reckons.

Jongdae _really_ needed that caffeine fix; it’s making him say _things!_

 

He follows Baekhyun down the Cereal aisle, fingers delicately wrapped around the hot cup of Heaven. There, he finds his roommate’s eyebrows scrunched together as if in deep thought. His dainty fingers were skimming over the boxes, while occasionally stopping to pick up a box for each hand. Jongdae still hasn’t had a sip of the coffee, and he was itching to do it, but he wouldn’t want to risk his tongue for his lust for coffee.

 

In Baekhyun’s hands were their favourite cereals.

 

He bet the poor guy was weighing the pros and cons of his decisions. They were kind of short on cash that month, with Jongdae’s internship coming to a halt because the company’s execs were off to a business trip for the month.

And without the meager allowance he gets from the paid internship, things such as toilet paper and cereals would have to be double checked before taking it to the counter to pay.

 

Now, Baekhyun had a box of Cheerios in one hand, and a box of Trix in the other.

 

Of the two of them, Jongdae was the one their friend group would describe to have “old people” taste. He preferred the simpler flavours.

But Baekhyun had no idea that Jongdae would put up with _anything_ just to make him happy.

 

“Put your favourite in the cart,” he casually says, taking a sip of the lukewarm beverage. Baekhyun turns to face him, and give him the brightest smile he could muster on a Saturday morning. “Really?” He takes a careful sip of the drink, and lets the taste rest on his tongue before taking large gulps of it.

 

Baekhyun had already dropped two boxes of his cereal into the trolley before pushing forward, heading to the breads section.

Jongdae follows closely behind, mouth still attached to the paper cup, taking in his caffeine fix, but stops in his tracks when he almost chokes on something.

 

“Baekhyun, what the _heck_?!” Jongdae asks in the loudest, most incredulous voice he could conjure at such an ungodly hour.

Nearby shoppers turn and give him a bad look before continuing with their shopping.

Rushing towards his friend who was browsing the Pop Tarts section, he stops just right in front of Baekhyun to confront him.

 

“What did you put in my coffee!”

 

It came out more of as a statement than a question. Baekhyun seemed to have caught on, as he replaces the box he was holding to the shelf he picked it up from.

 

“Oh, _those?_ They're marshmallows! I didn't like them in my hot chocolate, remember? But I also didn't want to just throw them out and waste them, so I thought of putting them somewhere else!” Baekhyun explained, he was looking at Jongdae like he should have already known that in the first place.

 

“And you couldn't have just thought of eating them by themselves?” Jongdae asks, now holding the cup like it's committed grave crimes against him.

 

“I can't eat them because I haven't had breakfast yet!” Baekhyun replies in a whine.

 

“Then why didn't you have breakfast then?”

 

Jongdae feels like a kid, arguing with another kid. It was embarrassing, but it was their thing, him and Baekhyun's.

 

“We're out of food!” Baekhyun yells back, copying one of Will Smith's famous meme poses, indicating the trolley of food beside him.

 

Jongdae groans inwardly, getting real tired of arguing so early, and now that his coffee has been sabotaged, he doesn't feel up to it anymore.

With a change of emotions, Baekhyun rushes forward to give Jongdae a hug.

 

“Look, I'm sorry for the coffee, okay? I'll buy you another one, your favourite kind, _after_ we buy our groceries, okay?”

 

And just like that, Baekhyun seemed to always know what to say.

 

“ _Fine._ Let's just go and finish this,” he announces, _definitely_ not forgetting to hug Baekhyun back.

 

“I knew you'd come around. You can't resist me, can you?” Baekhyun says, dangerously too close for comfort, Jongdae could feel his breath tickle his ear.

 

“I _can,_ and I _will_ if you don't let me go this instance and get the cart rolling,” Jongdae pushes away from the hug, leaving Baekhyun to laugh by himself, but does get back to the trolley and pushes it further, deeper into the grocery store.

 

Along the way, Jongdae decides to keep drinking the darned thing. He also doesn't forget to verbally express his emotions regarding it.

 

“Marshmallows shouldn't even _be_ in coffee! That's just plain _wrong_ , and against the natural order of the world! It's a _travesty!"_  Jongdae whines, as they approach one of the free sample stalls.

 

It was some brand of new, curry flavoured ramen, and if anything, it's Baekhyun who used to have ramen noodles and soup flow through his veins. That is until he met Jongdae. The poor fool lived off the stuff.

They approach the stall, and Baekhyun hurriedly leaves the cart to Jongdae, who stands to the side, right next to an attendant.

 

“Can you _believe_ this bloke? Putting _marshmallows_ in _coffee?_ That should be a crime punishable by law, if you ask me.” Jongdae says to no one in particular, but clearly he was trying to talk to the attendant, who just gives him a confused look, before giving the cup in his hands a quick glance.

 

“If it was bad, then why are you still drinking it?” She says, pointing at the cup.

 

Baekhyun hears this, of course. That sick bastard.

 

He snorts as he accepts a cup to taste from the other attendant, who was visibly giggling. “He’s just cranky I made him go with me to shop so early,” Baekhyun interjects, as Jongdae stares at him hard enough that Baekhyun could’ve started combusting.

 

“Oh, please. You just need my credit card--” Jongdae’s retaliation is interrupted by the loud slurping coming from Baekhyun’s end. The moment the one forkful of noodles were gone, the soup follows. In one large gulp, the soup was gone. Baekhyun takes a moment to let the taste sit in his mouth before swallowing.

 

“Mmmm the _flavour!”_ Baekhyun moans in satisfaction. The two attendants giggle at his antics, while and elderly lady who passed by gave Baekhyun a scandalised look.

 

“Stop quoting memes, and use your words, Byun.” Jongdae says with a sigh.

 

He looks at the cup in his hands, and it was, in fact, empty.

 

After recovering, Baekhyun grabs at least ten bowls of the instant noodles. He carelessly tosses them into the trolley, and wheels it away before Jongdae could even react, and make him put them back. Jongdae chucks his empty paper cup along with Baekhyun’s used cup and fork into the trash bin beside the free sample stall.

The attendants wave them off with a ‘thanks’, and they continue to explore the grocery store. Jongdae could feel his wallet get heavier, the more Baekhyun dumps food and cleaning items into the cart. But does Jongdae complain?

 

Not in this lifetime, at least.

 

They’ve amassed a mountain of food and various ingredients and items in their trolley, which, when he asked Baekhyun, he said should last them both a week, at least. Jongdae could already hear the cash register sounds, just as they were lining up for the cashier.

Jongdae catches Baekhyun looking at the display cases beside the queue. Thinking he must have been discreet, he reaches for a chocolate bar, that sends Jongdae in a frenzy as he stretches an arm over Baekhyun’s shoulder, to slap his hand off the display case.

 

“Hey, hey! Watch it! I ain’t your boujee boyfriend, ya know. I get broke too,” Jongdae complains, leaning forward against the cart.

 

“Aw but, Jongdae! Please? For me?” Baekhyun clasps both his hands and holds it against his soft, cute cheek.

It’s been his nth groan for the whole day, Jongdae notes sullenly in his mind. But that’s what you get in life with Baekhyun.

 

..Yes. He did say _life._ Wow. He’s got it bad, huh?

 

“Don’t do that,” Jongdae reaches over to pinch Baekhyun’s other cheek.

 

“Do what?” The bastard has the gall to act innocent.

 

“You think every time you say _“Please? For me?”_ I’ll do whatever you want.” He says, eyeing the people in front of them. The line was awfully slow this awfully slow morning, it seemed. “Well, not this time.” Jongdae concludes, accentuating his point by crossing his arms across his chest.

 

Baekhyun is stunned by that statement, but isn’t at all fazed by it. “Please? For me?”

 

_Damn it._

 

The line moves, and suddenly it’s their turn to check out. He lets Baekhyun walk out, as he picks up the items and places them onto the desk. He pretends he didn’t see Baekhyun break into a wide grin when he grabs a bar of chocolate he saw Baekhyun make a grab for.

 

“I saw that!” Baekhyun sing-songs.

 

“Shut up,” is all Jongdae could reply.

 

The lady behind the counter chuckles at the antics as she scanned the barcodes on the items, surprisingly she hasn’t missed a single one at the speed she was going at.

 

“So, how long have you two been married?” She asks casually.

 

Baekhyun freezes in his tracks, dropping Jongdae’s hand that he had been holding onto. They’ve always been one of the touchy-feely bunch (population: them) of their friend group, to the point they’ve become each other’s comfort.. Things. Person?

 _'Comfort-person'_ sounded like a sex thing in Jongdae’s head, but if he were fed some truth-admitting drugs, he wouldn’t deny wanting to have some sort of sex thing, and romance thing going on with Baekhyun.

 

“Oh, no we’re not--”

 

“We’re just friends!” Jongdae shrieks, his hands fly up to cover his mouth when he realizes the entire grocery store was looking at him. From his peripheral view, he sees Baekhyun chuckle nervously, his neck suddenly all red, just a shade shy from his own jacket.

 

“Oh? Sorry for assuming, you guys just seem so close.” She was blushing in embarrassment too, Jongdae noticed. Her movements had gotten more rhythmic than the earlier flurry of movements.

 

“Yeah, we get that a lot.” Jongdae scratches the back of his neck nervously, as the air suddenly felt hot and awkward.

 

“He’s just being modest, we’re actually best friends,” Baekhyun adds, hoping he’d get over the shock, but the blush spread from his neck up to his cheeks by now. Jongdae hasn’t seen him do that since watching _Civil War,_ and that’s saying a lot.

 

The cashier lady didn’t seem to believe that, humming dismissively as she continues scanning barcodes. Baekhyun busies himself with bagging the items in an orderly fashion into the one too many eco bags they always bring with them every time they go shopping.

 

“More like, we’re secretly pining for each other, but we don’t know how to confess to each other without having our years-long friendship on the line, kinda thing,” Jongdae was quick to react, which gets a sly grin from the cashier.

 

“That makes sense, I guess,” the cashier answers, already done ringing up the items. It was a whopping three hundred thousand Won, the total blinks at Jongdae.

 

Reaching for his wallet, Jongdae grabs for it from his jacket pocket, but doesn’t pull it out just yet. “Baekhyun, we have a budget.” He tells his companion, who was already pulling out some items from the bag he’s finished packing.

 

“Wha-- Wait, what are these? What are you doing, Baek?"

 

He pulls out six items from the bag, which looked like they were Baekhyun’s grabs for himself. “I know we have a budget, Dae. We can let these go for now, I can just buy them back next week when I get paid,” Baekhyun says to Jongdae, but is looking at the cashier who gives him a kind smile. She removes the items from their total, and the total is now roughly two hundred thousand Won, almost a thousand had been subtracted.

 

“Baek, you didn’t have to do that--” Jongdae was shushed by a hand covering his mouth. In his pickpocket speed, Baekhyun snatches his wallet from his pocket and hands Jongdae’s card over to the cashier lady.

 

“It’s okay, babe, I can live without them for a while.” Baekhyun gives the lady a smile, as she rings up the items, with the few removed from the lot. “Now you shut your boujee ass and just wait for your card.” He says, grabbing two of the three bags, already making his way out of the store. “I’ll wait in the car, hon!”

And with that, Jongdae was left with one bag of groceries, and a cashier smiling at him like he’d just won the lottery.

 

“So. Pining, huh?” The cashier lady’s attempt at small talk amused Jongdae.

 

 _“Mutual_ pining, yes.” He chuckles a reply, taking back his card graciously. He accepts the receipt, and grabs the bag of groceries Baekhyun left for him to bring. _Not_ surprisingly, it was probably the heaviest of the bunch.

 

He leaves the store, embarrassed out of his own pyjamas, no thanks to the staff’s giggly farewells.

 

In the car, Baekhyun steals the aux cord, and starts playing the _Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse_ soundtrack album. Honestly speaking, Jongdae was getting real _sleepy_ (because Baekhyun said ‘sleepy’ sounded cuter than ‘tired’) of the album, but seeing Baekhyun sing along and bop to the songs was enough reason for Jongdae to just shut up.

They always take the long way back home, getting some take-out for breakfast they can eat when they get home. When the softer, more somber song in the album starts playing, Baekhyun cranks the volume down, and turns in his seat to look at Jongdae.

 

“I had this vision of us.” He says in a soft voice, his eyes glued to his lap.

 

“Oh?” Jongdae’s interest is piqued.

 

“Yeah, I see us sharing a cup of coffee in the morning. You scrunching your nose, trying not to grimace at my puns. Same thing as we always do, but this time, I joke about your graying hair and you swat me in the shoulder before I grab your wrinkly hands in mine, rubbing the golden band in your ring finger affectionately.” At this point, Jongdae’s right hand is holding both of Baekhyun’s hands.

They don’t talk about the grocery store "confession", because they didn’t have to. It’s come to them like they’ve known all along. No need to talk about dating, when they’ve practically lived as a married couple for years now: they decide what to buy like a couple, they manage bills like a couple, they talk like a couple, they act gross and affectionate like a couple, they even fight like a couple.

They sit in comfortable silence, humming along to the songs, as they roll into the drive-thru window. They get their usual fast food breakfast meals, and drive back home.

 

::Later::

 

They had just put away the groceries and had their then-cold breakfast. It was cheap, greasy, yet so filling and yummy, Baekhyun just _had_ to catch some Z's before going about with his own projects.

While Baekhyun's still lightly snoring on the couch, the TV droning on about some spray paint machine on the shopping channel. They both share the love for watching TV just for the sake of background noise. Usually it's tuned in on the shopping channel after the news show ends, and since then, Jongdae has to be around Baekhyun when he's on the shopping channel.

Jongdae then, four years into their friendship, found out that Baekhyun was an impulsive buyer.

 

But still, he leaves the TV on so it masks his steps as he made his way out of their apartment.

 

He jogs his way back to the grocery store. There the guard greets him, a bit confused since, _wasn't this guy just here an hour ago?_

Jongdae makes a run for the cashier lady they lined up to earlier, seeing as she did not have any customers to tend to.

 

“Back so soon?” The lady asks, giving him a once-over, giggling when he noticed something off about him.

 

Was it his pyjamas? She didn't seem to mind them earlier on. Did he have a ketchup stain on his shirt? Or maybe it was Baekhyun's beanie that he had grabbed in his haste on his way out.

 

Jongdae couldn't help blushing. _He'd been caught._

 

“I figured you'd come back for these. I knew you couldn't resist that boy... _friend_ of yours.” She says, punching in the items Baekhyun had pulled out from their bags earlier. The cashier lady had them all in a paper bag that she hands him the moment he showed up. “You are _so_ whipped.” She adds.

 

 _Thanks_ , lady. Way to state the obvious.

 

After receiving the receipt and his card back, he rushes out the store to make his way back home. His cheeks felt like they were on fire from the sheer embarrassment of it all.

Not that he was embarrassed of Baekhyun, or of having feelings for his own _best friend,_ but the fact that he was _so obvious_ already, yet he and the concerned party _hadn't. Noticed. Yet._

 

Until _now,_ that is.

 

Upon arrival, he noticed Baekhyun hasn't seemed to have roused, but he did roll around their ratty, old couch. Jongdae takes that as a Go signal to start his operation.

He places the bag of groceries gingerly on the island, and carefully opens the cupboards. Making the least noise possible, he manages to shove Baekhyun's favourite food that he had sacrificed for Jongdae's budget, into the cupboards and fridge, just as Baekhyun starts yawning.

 

“What're you up to, Dae?” Baekhyun asks, his voice soft, and coarse from his nap.

 

“Nothing! I was just looking for the soap we bought. I wanted to take a shower and get out of these jammies, ya know?” Jongdae bluffs, but seriously, he wanted to clean up too.

 

“I think I put them in the bathroom already,” Baekhyun says, getting up from the couch. He turns off the TV, and heads over towards Jongdae.

 

“Go take your shower now. I'll go in when you're done.” He says, leaning against Jongdae's side, his chin resting on Jongdae's shoulder.

 

“Cool.” Jongdae squeaks, before scrambling towards the direction of the bathroom.

 

On instinct, Baekhyun reaches up and yanks the cupboard doors open. Inside, he finds the exact same items he pulled out earlier. Grinning to himself, Baekhyun shakes his head dismissively, at the silliness of it all.

 

"Jongdae, you are _so_ whipped.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you reached this far, congratulations and thank you for putting up with me!
> 
> I've been in this awful slump since, uhh, August last year, and my creative juices —both in writing and drawing— had run out, so I only get like, bursts of motivation every few or so days. 
> 
> And now, this is the longest I've written, and FINISHED since the bad times, so thanks yall for believing in me. Hope this year I'll be able to jump out that pit of despair.


End file.
